After Lin Jinran was sent home by Aunt Ying and the others, she turned on the living - room light. Looking down at her phone, she noticed that Su had sent a message and then quickly retracted it. Hmm? Did he send it by mistake?
Lin Jinran didn't take it seriously and paid no heed.
At the Su family's place.
The moment he sent the message, Su Qinian quickly retracted it.
He opened the photo of the three shadows again, zooming in and in on it. Staring at the small section of the trouser leg on the right - hand side, he directly took a screenshot and used the browser to identify the object.
Sure enough, the browser popped up with many school trousers that looked almost identical.
Su Qinian suddenly let out a laugh and shook his head helplessly.
Just based on that small, featureless section of the school trousers, could he determine it was the school trousers of No. 1 Middle School?
What was he thinking? He thought that "Wanshan Hongbian" was a student from Wannanshi No. 1 Middle School, and even thought she might be... Lin Jinran.
The person on the other side of the Internet was clearly a junior - high - school student. It was impossible for her to be Lin Jinran.
The IP address filled in by the other person was in the Imperial Capital, not Wannanshi.
Su Qinian placed his phone on the table. The screen still showed the photo of the shadows sent by the other person.
He stood up and took a towel to dry his hair. After his hair was almost half - dry, Su Qinian turned around to put the towel away.
His gaze casually swept across the phone screen, and there was another familiar mark.
Just as his gaze was about to pass by, Su Qinian suddenly lowered his head and looked. He could hardly tear his eyes away and stared fixedly at the upper - right corner of the photo.
Half of a lost - dog notice pasted on the wall was captured in the photo.
Su Qinian zoomed in again. Although the words on the lost - dog notice were a bit blurry, it was not difficult to make out what was written.
"I lost a little dog named Li Shitou on May 21st..."
Previously, when passing by, Lu Youchuan had noticed this lost - dog notice.
Because this lost puppy had a special name, Su Qinian had a bit of an impression of it.
So, was "Wanshan Hongbian" really a student from Wannanshi?
Su Qinian's breathing quickened. He tried hard to recall the content of his chat with "Wanshan Hongbian". The other person had never said that she was a junior - high - school student.
It was he who had preconceived the idea that "Wanshan Hongbian" was a junior - high - school student.
Wanshan Hongbian, Wanshan Hongbian, Wanshan Hongbian...
"See the boundless land all in red, with layers of forests dyed in crimson."
Su Qinian remembered Lin Jinran's self - introduction when she first came.
"My name is Lin Jinran, from the line 'See the boundless land all in red, with layers of forests dyed in crimson'."
Now the name corresponded to the online alias, and her profile page also stated that her place of residence was Wannanshi...
Su Qinian immediately opened the class QQ group, went into the group members, and directly searched for the online alias [Wanshan Hongbian].
As a result, QQ showed a blank page.
Since they had added each other on WeChat before, they didn't add each other as QQ friends. They rarely logged into QQ or chatted in the class group.
If there was anything, they just talked on WeChat.
Su Qinian squinted his eyes. Since he couldn't find the account [Wanshan Hongbian], he went to look for Lin Jinran's account in the group. Her nickname was [I won't change my name until I get first in the grade].
Goodness, what determination!
The IP address on Lin Jinran's account profile page was Wannanshi, not the Imperial Capital.
Su Qinian took a deep breath and thought that if that account was Lin Jinran's, then why didn't she change the IP address to Wannanshi?
Normally, if you're going to change it, you change it all. There's no need to change just one.
How could it be such a coincidence that the online alias was exactly from the line "See the boundless land all in red, with layers of forests dyed in crimson"?
But once a seed of doubt was planted in his heart, it would surely take root and sprout.
The next day, Su Qinian deliberately took a detour and came to the place of the lost - dog notice.
He opened the camera on his phone and simulated the angle of last night's photo to take a picture.
Su Qinian stepped back and widened the angle. When it was about right, he took the picture.
Comparing it with last night's photo, it was almost identical.
Combined with the dynamic time from last night, the only school nearby recently was No. 1 Middle School.
That person was very likely a student from No. 1 Middle School.
Could it be Lin Jinran... The online alias was such a coincidence.
Back in the classroom, Lin Jinran was already sitting in her seat. Su Qinian sat down beside her nonchalantly, turned his head to look at her, his gaze gentle.
Su Qinian remembered that at first, [Wanshan Hongbian] had confided her troubles to him, saying that there was a boy who seemed to like her recently.
At that time, he had used schoolwork as an excuse and told her to focus on her studies.
Right after that, Lin Jinran had become cold.
It also coincided with Qiao Songyue's return to show off. Su Qinian had always thought it was because of Qiao Songyue.
Now, thinking about it carefully, something seemed off.
"What's wrong, Su Qinian? Why are you always looking at me? Is there something on my face?" Lin Jinran put down her pen and asked in confusion.
Su Qinian lowered his eyes, and the words on the tip of his tongue somehow changed.
"Did you go straight home after school last night?"
"No, I went to see my aunt last night." Lin Jinran answered truthfully.
Yes, she went to see Aunt Ying, but there were four of them in total.
Hey, Su Qinian thought for a moment. The people in the photo last night seemed to be going out with a boy and a girl.
Just now, Lin Jinran said she went to see her aunt. There was a contradiction.
[Wanshan Hongbian] was most likely not Lin Jinran. She was just a student from No. 1 Middle School.
Su Qinian couldn't tell whether he should be disappointed or happy.
Since it wasn't Lin Jinran, most of Su Qinian's inquisitive mood faded away.
As for who it was, he didn't really care.
Just a chance - encountered netizen.
Later, as the school sports meet approached, Su Qinian signed up for a basketball game. Every afternoon after school, he went out to practice basketball with his classmates. During self - study classes, he occasionally came out to practice the pom - pom ball event with Lin Jinran and the others.
Six people sat on the body of the pom - pom ball prop respectively, with their feet on the ground and their hands holding the tentacles on the back of the pom - pom ball.
They worked together to move forward. It was a rare activity.
The class teacher simply turned a blind eye and didn't interfere with them.
The school sports meet was physically exhausting, and doing homework was mentally exhausting.
Su Qinian was as busy as a spinning top, physically and mentally tired. Gradually, he forgot to ask [Wanshan Hongbian] which grade and class she was in at No. 1 Middle School.
Soon, the opening ceremony of the school sports meet arrived.
All the students in the class entered the venue excitedly. After a very boring speech, the school sports meet officially started.
This whole day was for the senior - three students.
The autumn colors were getting deeper, and the ginkgo trees beside the playground were shining golden.
The host sat at the front of the playground, broadcasting the cheering messages.
Su Qinian joined up with his classmates in the class and was about to go to the basketball court in the gymnasium for the game. Lin Jinran followed him and asked with concern, "Su Qinian, is your previous injury healed? Are you really okay?"
"It's okay. It's been more than half a month. I've long since recovered." Su Qinian smiled helplessly. "You should be more concerned about your 3000 - meter race this afternoon."
Lin Jinran's face immediately fell.
"Swift as the wind, the autumn breeze will carry you to the clouds; irresistible as a broken bamboo, the applause will help you break the record! Struggle for your passion, pursue your ideals relentlessly! The most precious thing is not to defeat others, but to surpass yourself! Come on, Su Qinian from Class 1, Senior Three!
——From Qiao Songyue of No. 3 Middle School?"